Wednesday, October 02, 2013

Balmangan Tower, Nr Borgue

Balmangan Tower
Near Borgue
Dumfries and Galloway

My first new site since visiting Scarborough Castle back in May of this year, this was a real treat. Balmangan Tower sits in the garden of a farm house, and probably dates from the late 15th or early 16th century. 


All we have left today, is what looks like the lower portions, the ground floor, of a rectangular tower, measuring some 20 by 16 feet, with walls at this level, of 4 feet thick.




Traditionally the home of the McLellans of Bombie, it may have been abandoned in favour of more comfortable accommodation across the Dee estuary in Kirkcudbright. The door way visible in the facing wall, gives way to a vaulted basement, which in turn leads onto a wheel stair in the North East corner of the remains. There is also the remains of a single dumb bell shaped gun look in the South West wall. The tower can be viewed from the road that runs along the front of the house.

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